Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for History

Consequences of Imperialism (Colonies)

Demographic Growth: Increased due to a decrease in mortality thanks to improvements in hygiene and health. However, it also led to starvation and poverty in some regions.

Destruction of Ethnic Structures: Indigenous artisan crafts could not compete with manufactured goods from the colonists and gradually disappeared.

Resource Exploitation: Colonies practiced single-crop agriculture serving the colonial power's domestic needs. Industrialization was suppressed, and colonies primarily provided raw materials and markets. Mining was also significant.

Cultural Imposition: European languages, religions, and cultures were imposed, relegating indigenous cultures to a secondary status.

Artificial Borders: Colonization... Continue reading "Impact of Colonialism: Demographic Shifts, Economic Effects, and Global Conflicts" »

Henry David Thoreau's *Walden*: A Transcendentalist Experiment

Thoreau's Experiment in Simple Living

Finally, although Thoreau's life at Walden Pond between 1845 and 1847 constituted a community of only one, his stay there was just as much an experiment in living and an attempt at applied idealism as were Brook Farm and Fruitlands.

The Transcendentalists believed in the importance of a direct relationship with God and with nature.

*Walden*: A Journey of Spiritual Discovery

Thoreau, who was born and lived almost his entire life in Concord, went to live at Walden Pond in 1845 to experience nature directly and intensely and to test his Transcendental outlook in the concrete physical world. The full title of the work is *Walden; or, Life in the Woods*... Continue reading "Henry David Thoreau's Walden: A Transcendentalist Experiment in Simple Living" »

The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Cold War Nuclear Standoff

The Cuban Missile Crisis, a pivotal moment in the Cold War, unfolded in October 1962, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear conflict.

Origins of the Crisis

Prior to the crisis, tensions between the United States and Cuba were already high. In 1961, the U.S. had attempted to overthrow Fidel Castro's government with the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. This event served as a stark warning to Castro and solidified Cuba's alignment with the Soviet Union. Furthermore, Castro's government had nationalized U.S. companies, leading to severed diplomatic ties and economic sanctions from the United States.

The United States had also installed several intermediate-range ballistic missiles in Turkey and... Continue reading "Cuban Missile Crisis: Cold War Nuclear Standoff" »

Robespierre and the Reign of Terror

Believing that the revolution was in danger, the radical revolutionaries, or Jacobins, used this support to increase their powers. The Jacobin leader, Maximilien Robespierre, assumed all powers and established a dictatorship. The danger of foreign invasion and the internal threat from French opponents of the revolution led to the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a ten-month period of violent repression. A special tribunal, the Committee of Public Safety, was established by Georges Danton and Robespierre. They tried people who were suspected of opposing the Republic, even without proof, sentencing them to death by the guillotine, a famous symbol of the French Revolution. Around 50,000 people were executed. Robespierre... Continue reading "French Revolution: Robespierre, Napoleon, and the Rise of Nationalism" »

Solutions to the Great Depression

Maynard Keynes, an economist, proposed state intervention in the economy to stimulate investment, employment, and consumption.

Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed an economic program called the New Deal:

• Banks were forced to offer low-interest rates.
• Subsidies for agriculture were implemented to reduce production and eliminate surpluses.
• Working hours were reduced.
• Minimum wage and unemployment benefits were created.
• Public investment in infrastructure was increased to reduce unemployment.

Other countries adopted similar policies, and the economy began to recover.

Totalitarian Regimes: Fascism and Nazism

Characteristics of Totalitarianism

• Authoritarian System:
  • Controlled by a charismatic leader.
  • No freedom; only one political

Postcolonial Writers and Themes

African Writers

• Buchi Emecheta - The Joys of Motherhood (Lagos, Nigeria)
• Wole Soyinka - Telephone Conversation / The Lion and... (Nigeria)
• Niyi Osundare - Not My Business (Nigeria)
• Gabriel Okara - Once Upon a Time / Spirit of the Wind (Nigeria)
• Nadine Gordimer - WSA - The Train of Rhodesia (South Africa)

Caribbean Writers

• Jamaica Kincaid - A Small Place (Antigua)
• Dolores Prida - Coser y Cantar (Cuba)
• V.S. Naipaul - "The Mystic Masseur" / "The Suffrage of Elvira" (Trinidad and Tobago)
• Derek Walcott - "Dream on Monkey Mountain" (Saint Lucia)

Indian Writers

• Salman Rushdie
• Bharati Mukherjee - The Management of Grief
• Arundhati Subramaniam - The Welsh Critic Who Doesn't Find Me Identifiably Indian
• Rabindranath Tagore

Other Writers

• Alice

Greece: An EU Member State

Greece joined the EU in 1981.

Location

Greece is located in southeastern Europe, bordering Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania, and North Macedonia.

Capital City

The capital city is Athens.

Currency

The euro is the official currency.

Religion

95% of the population belongs to the Orthodox Church of Greece.

Language

Greek is the official language.

Economy

Historically agriculture-based, Greece's economy is now led by industry. Tourism and shipping are also vital economic sectors. However, the Greek economy faces challenges, including high unemployment, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption. The financial crisis and austerity measures have led to public discontent and protests.

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate in Greece has increased... Continue reading "Greece: Essential Facts, Economy, Culture, and Business Practices" »

Civil War: Examining Key Issues and Events

1. Frederick Douglass's Argument Against Slavery

How did Frederick Douglass argue against the institution of slavery? What evidence of the evils of slavery did he present?

Frederick Douglass highlighted that enslaved people were treated as property, lacking control over their own bodies. He pointed out that enslavers could buy, sell, and bequeath enslaved people like any other possession. Enslaved people were dictated what to eat and drink, when and where to speak, and whom to marry, and were often separated from their families.

2. Georgia's Reasons for Seceding

What reasons did Georgia give for leaving the Union?

Georgia argued that the Northern states had strived to weaken their security, disturbed their

The Black Death

Many people died in the 14th century as a result of crop failures, wars, or diseases. The plague appeared in Europe in 1347. It was a deadly epidemic caused by a bacterium that is transmitted to humans by fleas or black rats. More than a third of Europe's population died, and it took 150 years to recover. As a result, there were fewer farmers, abandoned lands, bad harvests, and declining revenues of the nobles and monasteries...and more fights to improve them. The nobles reinforced serfdom, which led to peasant revolts. Food shortages and the decline of craftwork were also causes of riots in the cities, which often ended up paying minorities due to religious fanaticism.

Castile and Aragon in the Middle Ages

The Crown of Castile

Although... Continue reading "The Black Death and the Iberian Kingdoms in the Middle Ages" »

Russian Revolution: The Path to Change

Russia Under Tsarist Rule: Seeds of Discontent

His government was unpopular for several reasons:

• The Tsar held absolute power; there was no parliament. The country's wealth and land were primarily owned by a noble class, and the Church was firmly on the Tsar's side.
• Peasant villages were controlled by the ‘mir’ (local council), which interfered in business and had the power to decide what peasants were allowed to own.
• The growth of industry led to a large working population, but workers faced poor conditions and low wages.
• In 1905, Russia suffered a humiliating defeat by Japan.
• There were widespread strikes and demonstrations, such as Bloody Sunday. Workers marched to the Tsar's Winter Palace asking for better